Humana has a Bold Goal. We’re seeking to make the communities we serve – including our hometown of Louisville – 20 percent healthier by 2020, as measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Healthy Days tool.

We can’t do it on our own, nor does it make sense to embark on a mission of this size and importance without the help of community experts. In partnership with more than 50 local government and community organizations, Humana convened the Louisville Health Advisory Board. Its leaders have come together to leverage the data we have to address the most critical barriers of health in Louisville and its surrounding communities. The advisory board represents a public/private collaboration and is co-chaired by Sarah Moyer MD, Medical Director, Department of Public Health & Wellness and me.

In addition to information from our local partners and the CDC, the advisory board has evaluated Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF’s) social determinants of health. For the same reasons RWJF selected Louisville for its Culture of Health award, we saw three specific health conditions to prioritize – diabetes, behavioral health and respiratory health.

We are also examining other determinants of health – such as access to valuable resources and services – to affect positive change in health and well- being. What we’ve discovered so far is that we need to leverage existing diabetes prevention programs and increase the awareness of suicide risks and how to prevent suicides. Through the advisory board, we’ve also learned that we can coordinate many existing community resources staffed by people that care for Louisville and want to see their neighborhoods thrive.

We’re bolstered by early examples of how collaboration can make a difference, such as the AIR Louisville program where 1,114 local residents are participating to better understand where and why asthma symptoms are triggered. Using smart inhaler sensors, provided by Propeller Health, the program is designed to help reduce asthma symptoms. Preliminary analysis showed at 130 days into the program, a selection of participants has witnessed a 94.7 percent decrease in their rescue inhaler use.

We have a tremendous opportunity to improve the health of our city through collaboration. Then we will share our learnings with other communities with similar goals and will benefit from one another’s successes.

Bryan Loy is the Corporate Medical Director at Humana Inc. and the co-chair of the Louisville Health Advisory Board.